The NFL says its investigation into whether the New England Patriots used under-inflated footballs in the AFC championship game is ongoing after a report Tuesday night claimed the league found 11 balls were not properly inflated.

The 49ers season is still not over. They can still make the playoffs, and even if unable to do that still need to show the rest of the NFC West where they stand. The team needs to forget about the past two weeks and focus on a strong finish as things could still fall their way before it’s all said and done.

Carlos Hyde ran for a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown with 2:59 remaining, and the San Francisco 49ers barely squeaked by the lowly Washington Redskins with a 17-13 win Sunday that kept them in the thick of the playoff chase.

There is no reason for the 49ers to panic despite their 4-4 record. There is a big difference between 5-4 and 4-5 so a win this week should silence the panic talks. A loss though will certainly warrant a raise in concern.

In the National League, the Cardinals and Giants have been dominating postseason play in recent years, and that means fans are having a hard time choosing who to root against more. Fortunately for Giants fans, the decision is easy, not just because the Cardinals are the latest opponents, but because these teams have postseason tensions dating back to Jeffery Leonard calling St. Louis a cow town.